TweetSharePinShare0 Shares Join Trying Together for UnConference: Mental Health in Early Childhood Education on Monday, February 19, 2024, at the Carnegie Science Center. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., participants will attend expert-led sessions that focus on a variety of ways to build relationships with children in order to help them grow emotionally and developmentally; creating an awareness of the “invisible” elements at play in our relationships and at work; reflective practice; and using mindfulness as a tool for taking an inventory of our needs and strengthening self-care practices. Tickets for the UnConference cost $25. Free parking will be available for participants at the Carnegie Science Center. Space is limited. Register by February 5, 2024. Keynote – Atoms, Stories, and The Universe Keynote speakers Dr. Susan W. Parker and Dr. Jennifer H. Tepe will share their experiences on mental health and wellness in the early childhood field through a storytelling lens. Many current issues weigh heavily on teachers’ hearts and minds (including teacher shortages, school shootings, attacks on how and what to teach, and the increased needs of children). These issues can take the joy out of a magical profession we all love, impacting our own mental health and wellness, which in turn affects the children (and their families) in our classrooms. Workshops There will be two rounds of workshop sessions occurring after the keynote. Registration is required. PQAS and Act 48 credit hours will be available. Upon registering, you will be asked to select ONE workshop session from each timeframe. Workshop sessions are: Baby Steps: Cultivating the Power of Relationships in Our Work Presenter: Erin Troup, LPC, NCC, CT, IMH-E IV® from Sprout Center for Emotional Growth and Development This workshop focuses on building a relationship with children in order to help them grow emotionally and developmentally. Sprout Center for Emotional Growth and Development’s mission and focus is with young children and families, with social emotional functioning being at the heart of the work that is done. Participants of this session will learn how to define a relationship and why it’s important; the concept of “Rupture and Repair”; how to use reflective functioning to help with regulating emotions and how to tap into it; and techniques to encourage relationships within play and communication. Beyond Self Care: The Role of Awareness in Educator Mental Health Presenters: Jennifer Austad, LCSW, ECMHS and Sarah Grubb, M.Ed., SEP from System 1-2-3 Only a small portion of how we are in our work is visible to others. Much of our day-to-day wellbeing lies within our thoughts, feelings, and sensory perception of the environment around us. What is behind wellbeing for each of us as early childhood professionals? This workshop will consider educator wellness as awareness of the “invisible” elements at play in our relationships. Facilitators of the session will explore the ways we may be physically and emotionally experiencing our work and how this awareness can create space for giving ourselves grace as well as supporting our growth. Mental Hygiene Presenter: Danielle Thum, MS, RYT, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s Family Care Connection Centers Mental health and self care are far easier terms to say than to truly understand and apply. Nonetheless both are critical and have come to center stage in media and society today. Where and how do these fit with our to-do lists, work, personal responsibilities, philanthropy, and desire for rest and fulfillment? A renewed and individualized look at mental health and self care can help us embrace the challenge of actually applying them to our daily lives. A Practice To Promote Mental Well Being And Increase Professional Satisfaction Presenters: Diana Schwab, M.Ed., LCSW, and Allison Robinson, ELRC Region 5 Over the last several years, the early childhood community experienced unprecedented levels of stress, and many early childhood educators and providers continue to experience heightened stress, burnout, exhaustion, and depressive symptoms. We hope to add to participant’s arsenal of tools to mitigate these difficult experiences. Reflective practice can provide us with opportunities to understand what we bring to the work, where the joys and challenges lie for us, and where to productively focus our energies. Early educators often reflect on ways to engage in deeper interactions with children in the classroom, but are seldom given the same opportunity to pause and reflect on their mental well being. During this session, presenters will discuss what reflective practice is (and isn’t), explore self-reflection tools we can use in our daily work, and help participants practice reflective thinking. The session is designed to include audience participation through discussion – including real life examples from their everyday work – and question and answers. Mindfulness for Self Care Presenter: Shannon Jenkins, Awaken PGH Caring for others begins with practicing care for ourselves. Working with children requires having a range of options for both preventative, and in-the-moment self care. This session will introduce mindfulness as a tool for taking an inventory of our needs and strengthening our self-care practices, including specific tips for working with children. What do I receive? PQAS and Act 48 credit hours Lunch Networking with colleagues Hands-on, interactive workshop sessions Registration Registration is now open. The cost to attend UnConference: Mental Health in Early Childhood Education is $25. There will be two rounds of workshops, and participants will be able to choose workshops during the registration process. Please register by no later than February 5, 2024. Questions? For questions, please contact Paige Kizior at paige@tryingtogether.org. About Dr. Susan W. Parker Susan Wuchenich Parker, Ph.D. (she/her) taught for almost two decades prior to moving to higher education. She was a Head Start teacher, an early intervention classroom teacher, home visitor and service coordinator. She graduated from Penn State with her Bachelors and Master’s degrees, before attending the University of Pittsburgh, where she received a leadership fellowship in conjunction with the Child Development Unit at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She received her doctorate in Instruction and Learning, and a concentration in Early Intervention/Children with Disabilities. Dr. Parker is currently a Professor at Robert Morris University, the Department Head of Education, and the former coordinator of the early childhood and special education program. She has accompanied undergraduate students on a service-learning trip to the Balkans that focuses on working with vulnerable populations, including children living institutionally. She has been a board member on a humanitarian organization based in Chicago that focuses on Serbia, and is also active in the Pittsburgh community where she lives with her husband. They have two adult children, and a dog, Penelope. In her spare time, she loves to read and travel. About Dr. Jennifer H. Tepe Dr. Jennifer Tepe has 30 years of experience in the field of early childhood education, early intervention, and special education, which includes classroom experience, home-based developmental therapy, behavioral health care consultation, and research. As a behavioral health care consultant and an urban education classroom teacher, Dr. Tepe continues to support future teachers in the development and practice of trauma informed teaching practices. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at Robert Morris University. Dr. Tepe has spent many years in higher education as an instructor and supervisor of preservice teachers. Dr. Tepe holds a Ph.D. in Instruction and Learning from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition, Dr. Tepe has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. She continues to strive to support, develop and contribute to the field of early childhood education/special education through relationship building, collaboration and advocacy. About UnConference The UnConference is an innovative, hands-on professional development training format where a deeper experience is provided around a particular theme. Local and national speakers are invited to present and participants are encouraged to engage hands-on in the workshops. The day concludes with a roundtable discussion on how to apply these experiences and ideas in the early childhood environment as well as share ideas on how to partner with new colleagues. Thank You To Our Sponsors and Partners A huge thank you to our series sponsor PNC Grow Up Great, sponsor Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC), and our workshop partners. About Trying Together Trying Together supports high-quality care and education for young children by providing advocacy, community resources, and professional growth opportunities for the needs and rights of children, their families, and the individuals who interact with them. Trying Together works regionally (in Southwestern Pennsylvania) and takes its expertise and models to statewide and national audiences. TweetSharePinShare0 Shares
